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News 12 Staff

916spotlightNJtwo_2023-09-16-11-14-03

Take a good look here. The title of this book Caught My Eye. Look at the cover. It is fantastic. Read it people. Yes. Read it and enjoy. I am talking with the author behind the book. Her name is Pat Miller of Jackson. We were talking about the positive side of Karma. Pat Yes. Right. That's what you want people to take away from this book. Exactly. I want them, I want them to uh know that there's positivity in this world. Uh We all go through dark times. I i it's just part of life. So the biggest thing is you need to get out of bed and you need to face it and you need to stay positive. Uh Everything happens for a reason in this world and uh you have to turn spin the positive and you have to get positive back. And that's, that's how I live my life. I, I believe that wholeheartedly. You have a strong, beautiful family who helped you stay positive and get out of bed. Tell us all about your roots. Well, um I come from a large Irish Italian family. So I'm one of seven. I grew up in Albridge, New Jersey. I'm a Jersey girl. I'm born and raised and I'm proud of it. It shaped me who I am as a woman. Uh, I have two very handsome sons. Uh, they're, they're a great accomplishment of mine. Uh I love them dearly and, and I'm also the owner of a construction company. Uh I never thought I would say that when I was a little girl, I wanted to own a flower shop, but I do own a construction company and I've been doing it for over 30 years. I build large commercial buildings that the average person shops in and, and the, and walks into on a daily basis. So that's what I do. And most recently, I'm an international best selling author. I felt like I had something to offer offered to people. Uh like I said previously, uh anyone going through the hard times, no matter what it is. Uh I wanted them to see that. If I can do it, you can do it. I'm just a Jersey girl. A Jersey girl, please. I am Jersey is what I was gonna say. What prompted you to get into construction. That is such a male dominated field. Although a lot of women like you were trying to change that. Yeah. Well, you know, when in Rome, do what the Romans do, it was, it was my husband's train and uh this was in the early nineties coming out of 89 90. Uh I'm dating myself. Now, times were very tough economically. And I said, I can't do this anymore. I have two babies. I have to start a company. We have to control our own destiny. So I took $100 out of his last payoff check. It was a layoff check and I went and got flyers. I went to, this was before Vista. I went to Point Pleasant on Arnold Avenue and I said, give me whatever I can get for $100 flyers and business cards. And I went around to every empty building and office space. There was in the, in the immediate area and uh we landed our first job in brick, New Jersey. Hilda said she just hustled as so many people have done. We know at noon, Pat talks about the challenge of rebuilding her life at age 52 after her husband died.

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916spotlightnjthree_2023-09-16-12-28-34

We are talking with the author of this new book. Take a good look at the title. It will definitely help you get through tough times. Her name is Pat Miller. Thank you very much for joining us right now. Again, Pat, let's talk about the fact that you are the president of Blue Diamond Construction Company LLC, which you started in brick township with your husband. How difficult and challenging was that? Well, it was very difficult in the beginning. Um I actually played, uh my personality is very strong and once again, I'm a jersey girl. Um It, it, it kind of molded me with the grit and the resilience, uh uh you know, being tough. So I kind of had to play the back part, right? I was like the necessary evil in the office. My husband was the face of the company in the very beginning because it was, it was the early nineties. You know, there wasn't a lot of women in construction. You know, when I showed up on a job site, there was, they thought I was either either there to take a coffee order or to deliver payroll. So, you know, my husband was just like, all right. Well, we gotta, we gotta play the game. So, you know, I kind of stayed in the background for a while and uh he was the face like I said, and he, he's a man's man, everybody loved him. So, you know, it was difficult with me integrating into it. And then as time went on, um and my husband got sick, he knew he was sick and he started preparing me almost like uh you know, fading out of into black, he was going towards the back and I was going towards the front. So, you know, he was very selfless in his depth by doing that. He, he taught me how to bid the jobs. He taught me how to be uh what to look for when you visit the sites, how to save money. So, you know, it was very admirable um that my husband did that for me and, and when he passed, you know, I looked in the, the bed next to me after 36 years and I was like, oh my God, I'm all alone. So I tell her, you never know how strong you are until being strong is your only option. So, isn't that the truth? We know that for sure. Tomorrow at 6 a.m. we'll chat about Pat's book launch and signings.

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917spotlightnjfour_2023-09-17-06-30-47

We are having a fabulous conversation with the author of this new book that you see pictured here. Don't you love the title? Pat Miller is the author and I am delighted to be speaking with her. Let's talk about your book launch, your book signings and all the fun stuff that goes with being an author. Oh, yeah, it's, it's so exciting right now. So we had an official book launch party in June at the end of June at 6 18 in Freehold and it was, it was just fabulous. It was such a hit. Uh, everyone had a great time. Uh I did some excerpt readings and then afterwards I signed, there was some merchandise for sale and then I signed books afterwards and it was, it really was, it opened people's eyes to the book. Uh, you know, it was really a lot of fun. It really was. Um, and I was proud to be a part of that. Um I was happy to get local people, Jersey people, right? So anybody could, could write a book, right? And put it on Amazon. But this was a local thing. This meant a lot up to me So, it was a lot of fun, like I said, and it, it got my name out there and, uh, we enjoyed ourselves. You are in another chapter of your life as an author. You also had to start at 52 with a different chapter. Tell us about that one in construction. Uh, yes. So, you know, I always was in business with my husband. You know, we were high school sweethearts. You know, it's uh I guess you can call it codependent. But I'm very independent but, you know, I had to start all over and when you're, you're uh wake up the, the day after your husband's funeral and you're in debt. You know, like I said, it's in my book. Uh I spent a lot of money trying to save his life. Uh He gave me a good life and I owed that to him. So I uh I woke up and I was like, oh my God, what am I gonna do? So I had to do what I did every day, but I had to do it by myself. So it was scary, you know, and my, the, my best friend was my cell phone. So I started calling all the people in the industry who knew me and my husband and I explained what happened. And then uh they were very kind to me. They gave me the invitations in my industry. You need an invitation, a better job and uh architects and years. They all know who I am and uh they helped me out and I slowly rebuilt my life. So I kind of have to do a compressed version of a career. Uh I had to rebuild it, get myself out of debt and, and keep going, keep going and hopefully save a little bit and retire someday. But it, it's been a challenge, but I'm in a good place right now. I'm very happy. I'm very positive. Um, I'm proud of what I've done and I think, uh, everyone will enjoy my book. I think it's got something for everyone uh, in there from 18 to 75. So, from what I'm getting back, I think it's, it's a good thing.

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917SpotlightNJ5_2023-09-17-09-11-03

Pat Miller is the author of this new book, the title of which you see Pictured right here. She's also been in the construction industry for 30 years and now she plans to pursue her passion of getting into development, which is also a male dominated field. Tell us all about that. Pat Well, you know, that's something that I strive to do. Um We had a conversation earlier. Uh real estate development is its majority is men. You know, because it's a mix of uh of construction and financial. So I'm trying to utilize everything I've done over the last 30 years and helped other developers make lots of money. And I'd like to break into it and start doing uh my own development and that's a goal of mine. So I would like to do that and it's not easy. It's, it's another chapter. It's a different role, but I, I think I could do it. You know, I think I have enough respect in the industry. Um You know, and I have enough uh financial people that, that keep pushing me, you should do it, you should do it. So I think I'm gonna do it. You know, I want to try to try to do that. Um I'm grateful to the developers who have employed me over the years. Uh That, that means a lot to me. You know, it's, it sounds very simple. Della, but when a developer has a 60 $80 million job and they don't know you on a personal level and they can only go by your referrals. You know, that's a lot of trust they're putting in me to build the building. You know, it's, it's a big investment for them. Um And I'm, I'm honored to have been employed by some of the, the New Jersey's finest developers who have trusted me and put their faith in me. And I do have a lot of repeat customers because they're very happy with what I do. I'm very client oriented. Uh I understand their side of it. Time is money. So I tried to get and get out and get their, their uh their jobs completed and collecting rents and, and, and, you know, turning a profit on their development. So I look forward to the next chapter of my book, another book and also uh another page in the book and hopefully that'll all work out. I'm gonna be into that, that part of the industry, the real estate development.

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917spotlightNJ6_2023-09-17-12-32-38

Figures show nationwide, 11% of women are employed in the construction industry. That's just over 1 million compared to 9 million for men. The President of Blue Diamond Construction LLC wants more females to know this field can be an option for them. Pat Miller of Jackson offers this advice to the next generation. I've been blazing a path for 30 years for younger generation women to get into this industry. It's given me a great life. It's not easy, but we do hard stuff every day and I think it's a good option for young women. Uh There, it's a vast uh industry from estimating all the way to owning the company. Uh I think it, it's the, the, the pay scale is very equal. It's very, you know, it's very much the same. Men and women get paid the same. So I would encourage women. I am going to uh pursue a mentorship program. It's very important to me. Uh I want to leave a legacy here on this earth before I leave. And I want to make sense of all this, you know, just a jersey girl in constructions, laying studs, so to say, and uh I it's for a purpose and I think it's a, it's a good opportunity for the young girls. Don't be afraid. Uh take a chance. Get out there. Be positive confidence is your biggest asset. You walk into that room and you control that room. You know, there's been many a times, I've walked into a room of 40 men. I was the only woman. So, you know, you have to be confident, you have to hold your own. You, you know, you learn. If you don't know it, find out, you know, find out how to do it, you know, represent yourself with knowledge. There's so many uh resources nowadays that if you don't know it, you can find it. So, you know, I, if I can do it, you can do it. And I urge young women to, to consider it an option and I'd be honored to help anyone in, hopefully in the future with the mentorship program. I think it's important that uh I get back to the younger girls.

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Author Pat Miller joined News 12’s Della Crews to discuss the inspiration behind her new book “Kicking Karma’s Ass.”

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